The back of the house has sliding doors that open far enough to expose the entire livingroom to the families' back yard.
The back of the house has sliding doors that open far enough to expose the entire livingroom to the families' back yard.
Yang Yeo and his girlfriend Ching Ian relax on the back stoop of their renovated and radically updated Singapore shophouse—an archetypal building type in this busy port city. “Shophouses brought back memories of our childhood,” says Yeo.
Yang Yeo and his girlfriend Ching Ian relax on the back stoop of their renovated and radically updated Singapore shophouse—an archetypal building type in this busy port city. “Shophouses brought back memories of our childhood,” says Yeo.
Christine (at left), and Amanda (at right) chat with David’s sister Aroha Yates-Smith (center) in the kitchen.
Christine (at left), and Amanda (at right) chat with David’s sister Aroha Yates-Smith (center) in the kitchen.
New interior finishes, furniture, and a guesthouse were part of the restoration/renovation of John Lautner's Chemosphere, a 1960s house that makes frequent cameos in film and television.
New interior finishes, furniture, and a guesthouse were part of the restoration/renovation of John Lautner's Chemosphere, a 1960s house that makes frequent cameos in film and television.
The building's shape and materials are the sort you find in a modernist residence in the UK, but it's the unfussy Japanese interior that reveals a design tailored to this multicultural family.
The building's shape and materials are the sort you find in a modernist residence in the UK, but it's the unfussy Japanese interior that reveals a design tailored to this multicultural family.
Though the lane on which the Japanese House sits is off the main street, a rock wall affords the small yard quite a bit of privacy. It also nicely frames the second floor of the house from street level. Have a look at the traditional architecture nearby in the reflection in the corner window.
Though the lane on which the Japanese House sits is off the main street, a rock wall affords the small yard quite a bit of privacy. It also nicely frames the second floor of the house from street level. Have a look at the traditional architecture nearby in the reflection in the corner window.
The pool’s pinched center and a nearby shade tree reflect the Japanese concept of “wabi-sabi,” or imperfection in beauty. A large stepping stone also references a stepping stone in a Japanese garden pool.
The pool’s pinched center and a nearby shade tree reflect the Japanese concept of “wabi-sabi,” or imperfection in beauty. A large stepping stone also references a stepping stone in a Japanese garden pool.
Having lived, he says, in “a number of houses where the living room is the most adorned and the least used,” it was important for Lazor to create a functional family living space. As the gathering above attests, it worked. The carpet is by InterfaceFLOR, and the armchairs by Blu Dot.
Having lived, he says, in “a number of houses where the living room is the most adorned and the least used,” it was important for Lazor to create a functional family living space. As the gathering above attests, it worked. The carpet is by InterfaceFLOR, and the armchairs by Blu Dot.
For now, one-year-old Awa is small enough to sleep in the hammock that hangs from the ceiling.
For now, one-year-old Awa is small enough to sleep in the hammock that hangs from the ceiling.
Architect Christian Tonko played with a double metaphor when designing the Camera Lucida studio. The name of the cantileverd hillside space, Latin for "bright chamber," references the open window facing the valley below, as well as the skylight that bathes the workspace in natural light.
Architect Christian Tonko played with a double metaphor when designing the Camera Lucida studio. The name of the cantileverd hillside space, Latin for "bright chamber," references the open window facing the valley below, as well as the skylight that bathes the workspace in natural light.
Shophouses are a staple of Southeast Asian urban architecture. A team of designers including Yong Ter, Teng Wui, Andrew Lee, and Edwin Foo renovated this shophouse into a contemporary sanctuary over the course of two years. They left the roof completely open from the beginning of the original airshaft to the back of the house. The heart is a cooking/dining area with a 13-foot-long Indonesian table made from a single piece of teak.
Shophouses are a staple of Southeast Asian urban architecture. A team of designers including Yong Ter, Teng Wui, Andrew Lee, and Edwin Foo renovated this shophouse into a contemporary sanctuary over the course of two years. They left the roof completely open from the beginning of the original airshaft to the back of the house. The heart is a cooking/dining area with a 13-foot-long Indonesian table made from a single piece of teak.
Suzanne and Brooks Kelley at the back of their 1,100-square-foot guest cottage.
Suzanne and Brooks Kelley at the back of their 1,100-square-foot guest cottage.
1315 Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia, by Perkins + Will

This LEED Platinum renovation of a 1986 office building is part of a larger attempt to increase the population density of downtown Atlanta by creating an attractive urban landscape. This property is also Perkins + Will’s Atlanta office, so they plan to treat the space like a laboratory—monitoring and recording data on energy use, water consumption and collection, as well as temperature, CO2, and humidity levels. The firm hopes to use this data to improve their own building strategies and contribute this information to the architecture and design community.
1315 Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia, by Perkins + Will This LEED Platinum renovation of a 1986 office building is part of a larger attempt to increase the population density of downtown Atlanta by creating an attractive urban landscape. This property is also Perkins + Will’s Atlanta office, so they plan to treat the space like a laboratory—monitoring and recording data on energy use, water consumption and collection, as well as temperature, CO2, and humidity levels. The firm hopes to use this data to improve their own building strategies and contribute this information to the architecture and design community.
In 1962, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architect Arthur Witthoefft won the AIA's highest honor for a home he built in the lush woods of Westchester County. Having fended off a developer's wrecking ball, Todd Goddard and Andrew Mandolene went above and beyond to make this manse mint again.
In 1962, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill architect Arthur Witthoefft won the AIA's highest honor for a home he built in the lush woods of Westchester County. Having fended off a developer's wrecking ball, Todd Goddard and Andrew Mandolene went above and beyond to make this manse mint again.
The sliding doors to a deck are by the Canadian company Dynamic Architectural Windows & Doors.
The sliding doors to a deck are by the Canadian company Dynamic Architectural Windows & Doors.
Friends from Tonko's hometown of Bregenz, Austria, commissioned the studio when they acquired some land next to their home. They use it for drawing and sketching, as well as creating clay and gypsum sculptures that are later cast into bronze. Since the area is close to where he grew up, Tonko was incredibly familar with the view from the hillside.
Friends from Tonko's hometown of Bregenz, Austria, commissioned the studio when they acquired some land next to their home. They use it for drawing and sketching, as well as creating clay and gypsum sculptures that are later cast into bronze. Since the area is close to where he grew up, Tonko was incredibly familar with the view from the hillside.
Positioned on the ground floor, the office enjoys spacial privacy, while still having intimate interaction with the living area above and common courtyard.
Positioned on the ground floor, the office enjoys spacial privacy, while still having intimate interaction with the living area above and common courtyard.
“Shophouses brought back memories of our childhoods, of open back doors and neighbors and relatives wandering in and out of the kitchen and cooking and eating and coming and going whether you liked it or not.”—Yang Yeo
“Shophouses brought back memories of our childhoods, of open back doors and neighbors and relatives wandering in and out of the kitchen and cooking and eating and coming and going whether you liked it or not.”—Yang Yeo
The American Modern collection by Steubenville is perennially popular among midcentury enthusiasts.
The American Modern collection by Steubenville is perennially popular among midcentury enthusiasts.
The classic American Modern pitcher.
The classic American Modern pitcher.
In the DoghousePaul and Shoko's dog, Mei, has lucked into a small prefab home of her own. Making use of a water jet cutter at his office, and using Adobe Illustrator as his design tool, Paul fashioned a series of panels that slot together without any nails or screws.
In the DoghousePaul and Shoko's dog, Mei, has lucked into a small prefab home of her own. Making use of a water jet cutter at his office, and using Adobe Illustrator as his design tool, Paul fashioned a series of panels that slot together without any nails or screws.
What the original building lacked in period detailing, it made up for with massive interior spaces, natural light, and a hardy palette of wood and raw brick.

Working with these loft signatures, David developed the hall’s liveable side, adding under-floor heating, and a gigantic kitchen on the upper floor running the width of the building, with a 37-foot-long solid walnut counter on top of stainless steel cabinets. This unites the dining, cooking and social spaces that run the length of the front façade on the upper floor.
What the original building lacked in period detailing, it made up for with massive interior spaces, natural light, and a hardy palette of wood and raw brick. Working with these loft signatures, David developed the hall’s liveable side, adding under-floor heating, and a gigantic kitchen on the upper floor running the width of the building, with a 37-foot-long solid walnut counter on top of stainless steel cabinets. This unites the dining, cooking and social spaces that run the length of the front façade on the upper floor.
Architect Josh Shelton said some of the midcentury influence that shaped the Heartland Habitat prototype in Kansas City came from a previous project, his own home, which featured slotted doors and an entry courtyard. The overall design rests on the idea of the outdoors as a social gathering space. "I've been fascinated with how you can extend the climate of a place like Kansas City into the domestic space," says Shelton. "You don’t see a lot of homes like this built in the city. Ventilation and circulation can really open up the home and add a few more months of not using air conditioning or heating."
Architect Josh Shelton said some of the midcentury influence that shaped the Heartland Habitat prototype in Kansas City came from a previous project, his own home, which featured slotted doors and an entry courtyard. The overall design rests on the idea of the outdoors as a social gathering space. "I've been fascinated with how you can extend the climate of a place like Kansas City into the domestic space," says Shelton. "You don’t see a lot of homes like this built in the city. Ventilation and circulation can really open up the home and add a few more months of not using air conditioning or heating."
Studio H:T designed this shipping container home on Nederland, Colorado.
Studio H:T designed this shipping container home on Nederland, Colorado.
Maziar Behrooz designed this container studio set amid lush trees.
Maziar Behrooz designed this container studio set amid lush trees.
Shipping containers are the building blocks of this residence tucked away in the redwood forests of Santa Cruz, California.
Shipping containers are the building blocks of this residence tucked away in the redwood forests of Santa Cruz, California.
This modular home prototype by Meka is a shipping container clad in cedar.
This modular home prototype by Meka is a shipping container clad in cedar.
This three-bedroom home in Lille, France, is made up of eight stacked containers.
This three-bedroom home in Lille, France, is made up of eight stacked containers.
Tsai Design Studio turned a shipping container into a classroom located just outside of Cape Town, South Africa.
Tsai Design Studio turned a shipping container into a classroom located just outside of Cape Town, South Africa.
For an adaptive reuse project in Toronto, Levitt Goodman Architects used a shipping container as a visitors' center.
For an adaptive reuse project in Toronto, Levitt Goodman Architects used a shipping container as a visitors' center.
“There was too much visual pollution disturbing the simplicity. The goal was to allow the existing buildings to work within a totally new program, each still distinguishable by its own destiny.” —Architect Bart Len
“There was too much visual pollution disturbing the simplicity. The goal was to allow the existing buildings to work within a totally new program, each still distinguishable by its own destiny.” —Architect Bart Len
The 6,000-square-foot gallery, with a mixture of Brazilian, European and American modern furniture and artwork by modern and contemporary artists. Photo courtesy Elko Weaver.
The 6,000-square-foot gallery, with a mixture of Brazilian, European and American modern furniture and artwork by modern and contemporary artists. Photo courtesy Elko Weaver.
Hartman Kable designed the Surfshack to include loads of built-in, fold-down furniture to keep the 160-square-foot container clutter free. Check out this video tour of the project and watch extra closely at about 49 seconds in to see a Dwell cameo.
Hartman Kable designed the Surfshack to include loads of built-in, fold-down furniture to keep the 160-square-foot container clutter free. Check out this video tour of the project and watch extra closely at about 49 seconds in to see a Dwell cameo.
Just because your kitchen is on the smaller side doesn’t mean you can’t make it as efficient and effective as possible.
Just because your kitchen is on the smaller side doesn’t mean you can’t make it as efficient and effective as possible.
Their creative confections may ruin our diets, but we’re happy to be their taste testers anytime.
Their creative confections may ruin our diets, but we’re happy to be their taste testers anytime.
The Kelleys furnished the cottage with help from Suzanne’s daughter Betsy Burbank of Betsy Burbank Interiors. Classic modernist icons, such as a Saarinen Womb chair for Knoll, a Herman Miller Eames lounge chair, and an Eileen Grey E1027 side table look at home alongside present-day pieces such as an Encore sofa (which handily folds down into a sleeping surface) from Room & Board and a Doka rug designed and produced by Stephanie Odegard. The Wohlert pendant lights from Louis Poulsen were designed by Vilhelm Wohlert in 1959, but grouped as such, they appear distinctly contemporary.
The Kelleys furnished the cottage with help from Suzanne’s daughter Betsy Burbank of Betsy Burbank Interiors. Classic modernist icons, such as a Saarinen Womb chair for Knoll, a Herman Miller Eames lounge chair, and an Eileen Grey E1027 side table look at home alongside present-day pieces such as an Encore sofa (which handily folds down into a sleeping surface) from Room & Board and a Doka rug designed and produced by Stephanie Odegard. The Wohlert pendant lights from Louis Poulsen were designed by Vilhelm Wohlert in 1959, but grouped as such, they appear distinctly contemporary.

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